Covestro-Tongji Green Smart Classroom starts construction
Latest News: Recently, the Covestro-Tongji Green Smarter Classroom project started construction at the Third Middle School of Yunlong County, Yunnan Province. Since 2013, according to the unified deployment of the Ministry of Education, Tongji University has been designated to assist Yunlong County, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. For many years, Tongji University has made full use of the school’s advantages and implemented precise policies based on the local needs of Yunlong County, focusing on promoting the rapid development of the local economy and society. With the joint efforts of both the school and the locality, the poverty incidence in Yunlong County dropped from 28.1% in 2014 to 1.35% in 2019. On May 16, 2020, Yunlong County announced its withdrawal from the poverty-stricken county sequence.
The cooperation between Covestro and Tongji University has a long history, and the two sides have in-depth cooperation in the combination of new circular economy materials and talent education. This time, the two parties jointly build green smart classrooms through Tongji-Covestro Innovation Research Institute, which is another expansion and deepening of cooperation, and at the same time injects new strength into the rural revitalization of Yunlong County. Lei Huanli, President of Covestro China, Dr. Qing Siyan from the global innovation management team, Professor Fang Shouen, Secretary of the Party Committee of Tongji University, and Professor Fang Ping, Deputy Secretary, attended the launching ceremony.
Green smart classrooms use Covestro’s green and low-carbon materials and a series of innovative material solutions. For example, the formaldehyde-free wood-based board uses polyurethane ecological board adhesive, and also recycles the residue left after people brew coffee. It is estimated that a standard size of coffee grounds recycling formaldehyde-free wood-based board can achieve 2 kg of carbon Emission reduction, each cubic meter can achieve 57 kilograms of carbon emission reduction. The solution not only improves indoor air quality, but also reduces the need for ventilation in buildings, thereby reducing building energy consumption and carbon emissions; the waterborne polyurethane interior wall paint prepared from new bio-based raw materials not only contains VOC (volatile organic compounds) low, and excellent paint film performance, which further promotes the implementation of the “double carbon” policy; the raw materials used for decorative walls are recycled materials, and the recycling ratio exceeds 50%, which can reduce carbon emissions by up to 50% compared with the use of virgin materials.
before the change
after change
The color used in the interior of the classroom was jointly proposed by the Covestro Global Color and Design (CMF) team and the Color Institute of Tsinghua University Art and Science Center. The CMF aesthetic design is integrated into Covestro’s more sustainable polycarbonate material, promoting a design concept that takes into account both aesthetics and circulation.
Green smart classrooms will be built before the end of this year. Covestro is committed to using the open innovation platform to demonstrate the application advantages of new green materials and optimize the teaching facilities of Yunlong No. 3 Middle School. This classroom symbolizes the starting point of the bond between Covestro and Yunlong County. In the future, Covestro’s volunteer service will use the green smart classroom as a platform to help Yunlong No. 3 Middle School, assist Yunlong’s basic education through materials, and provide local economic development. Talent support.
By joining hands with Tongji to build a green smart classroom, Covestro once again practiced the sustainable development path of combining production, education and research, and contributed more innovations to the realization of a comprehensive cycle!